Evacuation orders issued in Japan after powerful earthquake triggers tsunami warning
A strong magnitude-7.5 earthquake It hit the northeastern coast of Japan on Monday, triggering evacuation orders and a tsunami warning for parts of the coastline.
In its update early Tuesday local time, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported that tsunami waves were experienced in some parts of the country. A tsunami height of 2.3 feet (0.7 meters) was observed at Kuji port in Iwate. Tsunami heights of 16 inches (40 cm) were recorded in Aomori and Hokkaido, the JMA said earlier.
A few hours later, JMA downgraded the warning to tsunami warning level. The agency also adjusted the magnitude of the earthquake down from the initially reported magnitude of 7.6.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake occurred at 11:15 p.m. local time (9:15 a.m. ET) about 45 miles off the coast of the country and at a depth of about 33 miles.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said at a press conference early Tuesday that there were numerous reports of injuries and fires from Aomori Prefecture. He said power outages were reported in Aomori and Iwate, and bullet train services between Fukushima and Aomori were suspended. Kihara said some sections of highways were also closed.
“There is a possibility of a large-scale earthquake of magnitude 8 or greater occurring as a follow-up earthquake off Japan’s northeastern coast,” senior disaster preparedness official Morikubo Tsukasa told reporters, according to public broadcaster NHK. He called on citizens to take precautions.
A CNN crew in Tokyo, Japan, felt strong tremors during the earthquake that lasted more than 30 seconds.
Earlier, Kihara urged people in affected areas to evacuate to higher ground or move to safe buildings such as evacuation shelters.
Kihara said there were “currently no reports of anomalies” at the country’s Higashidōri and Onagawa nuclear power plants. “We have received reports that other nuclear facilities are currently being checked,” he added.
Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, elected in October, said his government would work closely with local authorities to assess the damage and implement emergency response measures.
He said the government “will act as one body within the framework of the principle of putting human life first.”
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks to the media about the response to the 7.5 magnitude earthquake that shook the northeastern region of Japan on December 8, 2025. – Kyodo/Reuters
Japan is no stranger to powerful earthquakes. It is located on the Ring of Fire, where there is intense seismic and volcanic activity on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. The worst earthquake in recent Japanese history was the 9.1 magnitude Tohoku earthquake in 2011, which triggered a massive tsunami and nuclear disaster.
This earthquake and tsunami left more than 22,000 people dead or missing and caused the reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to melt down and spread radioactive contamination into the environment.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
CNN’s Brandon Miller, Lauren Kent and Mitchell McCluskey contributed to this report.
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